Presidential Tour

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President Park Geun-hye will soon begin an eight-day overseas tour during which she will attend the G20 Summit slated for next month in China. Here’s a preview of the president’s upcoming itinerary.

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President Park Geun-hye is to attend the G20 Summit, which is to be held over two days starting September 4 in Hangzhou, China. The agenda of the summit includes policy cooperation to overcome sluggish growth and changes in the financial market, as well as global issues such as terrorism and climate change. Attention is being focused on whether Park will hold a bilateral meeting with her Chinese counterpart, given the recent row in Korea-China relations over the decision to deploy a U.S. anti-missile defense system on the Korean Peninsula. The presidential office said that it is considering a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G20 Summit. If the meeting takes place, Park will likely explain that the deployment of the anti-missile system is a self-defense measure aimed solely at enhancing Korea's national security. Another issue drawing attention is what Chinese leader Xi Jinping, who is determined to hold the G20 Summit successfully, will say about sanctions against North Korea. After the summit, Park will attend an ASEAN-related meeting in Laos slated for September 7, and begin an official visit to Laos on September 8 to promote bilateral diplomatic ties. Before her trip to China, Park will visit Russia for two days starting September 2 to attend the Eastern Economic Forum in the city of Vladivostok.